Twentieth Time's a Charm
by jadetarsier
Summary: Balamb Garden desperately needs another pilot. But finding one proves more difficult than anyone would have guessed. For the Successor Challenge 2019 - Bonus Round (all themes).


_SCREEEE-UNCH!_

Sparks flew.

Nida shook his head.

Squall watched.

Finally, Garden came to rest, the left side awkwardly wedged against the side of the Gaulg Mountains.

"S-s-s-sorry!" The SeeD student and pilot-in-training stammered. "I-I-I can't do it." He backed away from the controls and onto the elevator platform, which quickly dropped, whisking him from the bridge. Make that _former_ pilot-in-training. Which would be former pilot-in-training number . . . nineteen.

Nida sighed as he stepped up to the control. "I think it's okay. Garden's pretty durable. I should be able to back out without causing any more damage."

Squall nodded, just as his comm crackled. _"What happened, Squall? Everything okay?"_

"Yes, Quistis. New pilot mishap. It's under control. Nida will take us back."

"_Okay…The power is out here…I think it went out in all of Garden. Can you fix it?"_

Squall looked to Nida.

"Yeah, we should just have to reset the switch in the basement again."

"We'll take care of it," Squall said into the comm. Give us twenty minutes."

. * . * . * .

"Are you kidding me? Again? Arrrgh!" Elsie, head of the Library Committee, smacked the side of her computer. "I'm so sick of these incompetent pilots causing me to lose all my work! Seriously how hard can it be to _not_ fly into a mountain?"

"Totally. We already have a pilot. Why do we need another?" Sandy tossed her long hair over her shoulder.

"What if there's an emergency and we need move and he isn't around?" Libra tugged on her pigtail.

"Then he should always be around."

"What if he can't be? What if he dies?"

"Well he shouldn't—" Sandy's response was cut off by the sound of a commotion in the stacks.

Elsie raised an eyebrow at Libra. "I saw Zell disappear back there a while ago. Maybe you should check on him."

"Umm…" Libra blushed.

Sandy handed her a flashlight and gave her a nudge. "Just go."

. * . * . * .

Zell had been examining a book on a high shelf when Garden trembled. He was knocked onto his backside, unharmed, although he crossed his arms in front of his face as he heard books sliding from shelves all around him.

Once everything settled, Zell hopped to his feet. He wouldn't be able to find the right books in the dark, so he started making his way out of the stacks. He stepped on a book with a slick cover and it slid forward, taking his foot with it, causing him to nearly do the splits before falling to the floor amidst a pile of books.

_Ugh_. These little Garden jaunts, and the associated power outages, were getting old. Apparently Nida was a much more talented pilot than anyone thought. Zell settled into his spot on the floor, hoping maybe the power would come back on right away.

He saw a beam of light bobbing toward him.

"Zell?"

"Over here."

"Are you okay?"

Zell grinned as Libra appeared in front of him. Even in the dim light of the flashlight, he could see her face was creased with concern.

"Sure, no problem!" Zell attempted to hop to his feet, just as Garden lurched, resulting in him tumbling back to the floor.

Libra gasped a little, then placed a hand on his shoulder as Zell tried to get up again. "Maybe we should just stay here for a minute." She sat down next to him.

Zell opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted when his comm crackled to life. Garden had issued the new communications devices last week and everyone was still figuring them out. Trying to keep them on the right channel, so the right people were on the line, was particularly frustrating. Most people had learned to just turn down the volume if they found themselves part of an unnecessary conversation.

"_Squall."_

"_Yes, Quistis?"_

"_We really need to talk."_

Zell moved to adjust the comm, but Libra stopped him. "Let's just see what they say."

. * . * . * .

"_This obviously isn't working. What's the problem?"_

Squall looked questioningly at Nida.

Nida sighed and took the comm from Squall. "They all do great in the simulators, but when they have to pilot the actual Garden, they get intimidated. Garden is really, really big. And Squall is watching. And they just freak out and forget everything they are supposed to do."

"_Is there not one person in all of Garden capable of this task?"_

Nida put his hands up as he looked at Squall.

"…_Or are they not being properly prepared?"_

Nida scowled. "If you think someone else can do a better job teaching, then by all means go for it. I never said I wanted to be a pilot instructor. In fact, I _don't_ want to be a pilot instructor. I want to be a SeeD. I want to go on missions. I want to leave Garden for once!"

Nida gave the comm back to Squall. They had arrived at the basement controls and he turned his attention to getting the power back on.

"_I understand your frustration Nida, and I appreciate your patience while we try to figure this out."_

Squall held the comm so Nida could hear Quistis while he worked.

"_But we can't keep flying Garden around and crashing into things without even making any progress toward getting more pilots. How did you get over your nervousness, Nida? You had even less training before flying into battle."_

Nida paused in his tinkering. "Well that's just it. I didn't have the option to be nervous. I just had to do it. We'd all die if I couldn't get it done. And so I did. It didn't matter how big Garden was, or how hard or how scary it was to fly, I just did what I had to."

"_So…you're saying, to get over their nervousness, we need to put the fear of death into the new recruits?"_

"Maybe." Nida flipped the big switch. "There that should do it."

. * . * . * .

There was a soft buzzing as the atmosphere control system kicked back on, then the lights flickered on.

Zell jumped, feeling like the lights had come on just to shine on him as he eavesdropped. He quickly flipped the comm off, before Libra could object.

"Poor guy," Libra said. "I love the library, but I'd go nuts if I couldn't even leave Garden to visit Balamb on the weekends."

Zell, struck by an idea, leapt to his feet. "We should do it!"

Libra got to her feet. "Do what?"

"Become pilots!"

"What? I'm not even a SeeD."

"It doesn't matter, they're desperate! Besides, you're always worried about not ever passing your SeeD exam…well, if you were a pilot, you wouldn't have to! You could stay at Garden as a librarian-pilot!"

"That does sound nice, but I'm not sure…"

Zell grabbed Libra's hand. "Come on! Let's tell Nida right away, before Quistis thinks of another plan!"

. * . * . * .

First, Nida gave them each a booklet to memorize. Libra had no trouble at all. It seemed that steering Garden was not as complicated as she expected. Maybe she really would be able to do it.

. * . * . * .

After they had each proven to Nida that they knew the instructions from the booklet backwards and forwards, they practiced on the VR simulator. It was actually quite fun at first, but Nida made them run each training exercise to perfection a million times. Zell struggled a little with the VR. It was missing a lot of the details of real life and he had trouble adapting. Eventually, Nida declared that they had both passed and were ready for the real bridge.

Libra couldn't help feeling a bit of pride that she seemed to be at the top of the two-person class.

Her ego was knocked back down the moment she first touched the controls. The steering column was huge, and totally lacking in power steering.

Of course muscle-bound Zell had no trouble moving the column any way he wanted. But Libra feared she lacked the physical strength to pilot Garden.

"You can do it!" Zell assured her. She wanted to believe him, but she feared Nida wouldn't agree.

. * . * . * .

"Push!" Nida yelled. "Harder!"

Sweat dripped down Libra's cheek as she leaned as hard as she could against the steering column. "I can't. It's too heavy."

"Then use your weight. It's all about leverage. Put your feet here. If you can raise your center of gravity…There!"

Finally the steering column gave way and Libra could feel Garden shift beneath her. "Did I do it?"

"Yes," Nida replied. "I think you're ready."

. * . * . * .

"Guess what I brought? Hot chocolate!"

Zell had already laid out blankets and bed rolls. There was a stack of comic books, a small music player, and two lanterns. For a moment Libra wondered if she should have brought candles. No. The lanterns would be fine.

"Also popcorn and cookies. All the best snacks for late night studying."

"Excellent!" Zell punched the air in enthusiasm. "And we don't even have to study! This'll be fun!"

It was Zell and Libra's first night officially on-duty as the back-up pilots. Nida was away on his first mission away from Garden in who-knows-how-long, and Zell and Libra were celebrating their new responsibilities by having a late night picnic in the lounge area just below the bridge. They knew the odds that they would actually have to pilot Garden were close to zero, but they were both so excited they didn't expect to sleep much anyway.

"I can't believe how fast Nida got assigned a mission."

"I know, and they sent Squall, Quistis, and Xu too? Must be really important!"

. * . * . * .

Zell was reading a comic book. Libra was pretending to read a magazine, but really she was watching Zell. The screeching alarm caused them both to drop their reading material before looking up at each other, eyes wide. _Is this really happening?_ they each silently asked.

Moments later, alarms still blaring, the elevator doors opened and Rinoa popped out.

"We're under attack!" she cried. "Galbadia Garden! We have to move! Now!"

Zell and Libra were each on their feet in an instant.

"Wait." Rinoa stopped them before they could enter the elevator. Galbadia is using crazy magic. The sky is practically on fire. You won't be able to see anything. Put on these blindfolds to protect your eyes. I can block out the light with my Sorceress magic, and I can guide you with the map on this tablet. Hurry, let's go!"

Libra and Zell put on the blindfolds as they were told and rode the elevator to the bridge

On the bridge it was eerily quiet. Zell went immediately to the steering column, finding it easily despite the blindfold.

"Okay, fire it up and go straight for half a mile."

Zell complied. He could feel Libra come up behind and stand near his right shoulder.

"Oh, no! Galbadia's catching up! Go faster and take evasive action!" Rinoa yelled.

Zell threw the steering column forward as far as he could, then he pulled it right for five seconds, then left, just as Nida had taught him.

"No, the mountains," Libra warned him. "Make a hard right or you'll hit them!"

Unable to see, Zell couldn't remember exactly where the mountains were in relation to where Garden had traveled, but he was willing to take Libra's word for it. He hauled the steering column right, using every bit of strength he had. Garden shifted and groaned, the turn tighter than it was designed to make. But it was better than crashing into the mountain.

"Good job, Zell."

Zell turned his head to flash Rinoa a smile, when suddenly he felt hands on him. Two hands on each arm, and one covering his mouth, he was dragged backwards. He tried to cry out, to warn Libra and Rinoa.

"Quiet," a harsh voice whispered in his ear as his blindfold was removed.

. * . * . * .

Zell was gone. He was there, she could feel him standing in front of her, and then he wasn't. Libra started to lift her blindfold, willing to risk her eyes if it meant being able to help Zell, but a hand grabbed her wrist.

"No!" Rinoa yelled. "You have to steer! It's all up to you, Libra!"

Remembering her commitment and her responsibility, Libra stepped up to the steering column. She would help Zell after Garden was safely parked.

First things first, she straightened out the steering column. She wasn't sure how far Zell's hard right had taken them, she no longer had any idea where the mountains or anything else was, but chasing their own tail wasn't going to help anything. "Rinoa! I need directions! Where's Galbadia?"

"Keep going straight! Full speed!"

Libra leaned her full weight into the column, positioning her feet for maximum leverage as Nida had showed her. It felt like forever that she pushed as hard as she could. Her muscles were tired but she couldn't let up now.

"We're losing them!" Rinoa declared, and Libra pushed on.

Eventually, Libra heard a splash. They'd hit the ocean.

"We're in the water," she declared. Nida had told her steering in water was almost the same as land, but she didn't want to get caught by a current and drift out to sea.

"Thank Hyne," Rinoa mumbled. "We hit water. Are we done now?"

"What?" Libra asked, confused.

"Yeah, fine, take off the blindfold." Libra stiffened. That wasn't Rinoa.

Libra felt the blindfold be lifted away, but she still couldn't see.

"Xu! Did you cast blind on her?"

"Like I was going to trust that flimsy bit of cloth. We needed a real test."

Next thing she knew, Libra felt white magic wash over her. She regained her vision just as Nida stepped up beside her "I'll take it from here."

Libra looked around. Rinoa stood to one side. Crowded in the other corner was Quistis, Xu, and Squall. And Zell, looking rather bewildered.

"This was your mission?" Libra asked. She took a quick look around at the surroundings. No sign of Galbadia Garden or fire in the sky. "Testing us?"

Quistis nodded. "Indeed. I apologize for the deception. We needed to see if you two could handle Garden in a crisis."

"So? Did we pass?"

Rinoa stepped forward. "I say they passed with flying colors!"

Quistis looked to Squall and then Xu. She nodded. "Yes. You both most definitely did pass. Congratulations. You are officially Garden's newest pilots."

"Oh yeah!" Zell stepped up to Libra and threw his arms around her, spinning them both in a circle. At first she laughed in excitement, but her breath caught as she realized how close her face was to Zell's. So close she could kiss him—

_"YES!"_

Everyone turned to see Nida with his hands raised in victory. "Finally! I can leave Garden! My first day of freedom in years!"

"Not so fast." Xu crossed her arms. "I don't remember you putting in for leave."

"But—" Nida deflated and Libra turned back to Zell. He still had his arms around her and she still wanted to kiss him. But not here. There would be time enough for that later.

Quistis cleared her throat. "I officially present to you—Zell, Libra, and Nida—the Indigo Wings badge, indicating you are the official pilots of Balamb Garden." Squall pinned a badge onto Zell's uniform and Xu pinned one onto Libra's. Quistis approached Nida with a somewhat more elaborate badge.

"Further congratulations to you, Nida, you are the official head pilot. And as such, you are granted three days leave, effective as soon as Garden is back in place."

"Three whole days? What will I do for three days?"

"After going four years without leaving Garden? Time for a change in scenery," Xu suggested.

Rinoa clapped her hands. "Oh! You could go to Timber! The café in town should be starting to serve pumpkin spice lattes right about now!"

Quistis rolled her eyes at Rinoa's suggestion. "If you don't want to spend the entire time traveling for one drink, you could spend some time in downtown Balamb."

"Yes, they've got a great bookstore," Libra added.

Zell nodded his approval. "And they serve hot dogs at the restaurant in the hotel!"

Nida turned to the only person who had not yet spoken.

Squall was concentrating, the crease in his forehead was always a dead giveaway. "I would go to…Dollet. It's pretty nice when you aren't being shot at. And not a bad place to play Triple Triad."

Nida bobbed his head as he considered his options. "Dollet, huh? Why not. I'll give it a try."


End file.
